Monetising trees as assets on Australian city balance sheets

This Research Note reports on documentary analysis using the financial statements of 119 Australian cities for the financial years ending 2024 and 2025 to consider to what extent Australian cities monetised urban trees as an asset on the balance sheet. The results of the study show that of the nineteen cities that monetised trees on the audited balance sheet, two cities monetised them as infrastructural assets to present fiscal details on tree renewal, addition, depletion, loss, and revaluation. This research note argues that other cities could fast-track trees as assets on the balance sheet by maintaining a tree asset register, calculating current replacement costs, and capitalising tree expenditures.